Musical instrument



(No Model.)

S. HOADLEY. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 599,608. Patented Feb. 22,1898.

'.. WITNESSES. INVENTOH ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SILVESTER HOADLEY, OF GOSPORT, INDIANA.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,608, dated February 22, 1898. A fi ti fil d November 15, 1897. Serial No. 658,560. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LSILVESTER HOADLEY, of Gosport, in the county of Owen and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Musical Instrument, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide anew and improved musical instrument arranged to allow a player to execute any desired music, the instrument being more especially designed as a substitute for a pipe or piccolo, and permits the performer to readily imitate the whistle of birds.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference inclicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improvement with parts in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a reduced front elevation of the improvement with a devicefor shortening the stroke of the keys attached.

The improved musical instrument is provided with a suitably-constructed frame A, carrying a standard A, having brackets A for freely supporting the barrel of a whistle B, containing a slide or piston 0, adapted to be moved along in the barrel toward or from the mouthpiece to change the pitch of the tone accordingly. The slide 0 is attached to a rod D, mounted in suitable bearings in the frame A and in a bearing A carried on the lower end of the standard A. This rod D is securedon an arm E, mounted to slide at its outer end on a guideway A forming part of the frame A.

The inner end of the arm E is pressed on .by a spring F, attached to one end of the brackets A and connected with the said arm E by a link F, as is plainly shown in Fig. 1, so that the said arm E is always normally held in an uppermost position a suitable distance away from the under side of the main portion of the main frame A, as indicated in Fig. 1.

On the top of the arm E rest the lower ends of the keys G, fitted to slide loosely in the main frame A, each key being provided at its upper end with a finger-piece G, preferably lettered according to the notes represented. The keys G are of different lengths, so that when they are pressed downward to their fullest extent they move the slide 0 a corresponding distance in the barrel of the whistle B to change the pitch of the tone of the instrument accordingly.

As illustrated in the drawings, ten keys are employed; but it is evident a greater or less number of keys may be used, and the keys may be of such a length as to represent a chromatic scale; but I do not limit myself to this arrangement.

The downward movement of the keys G is limited by the underside of the finger-pieces G, moving in contact with vertically-adjustable plates H, which permit of tuning the instrument to bring the same in accord with a piano or other desired musical instrument.

I prefer to have a plate H for each row of keys G, as shown in the drawings, and each plate is provided with down wardly-extending slotted lugs H, engaged by bolts I, held transversely in the main frame A. Now by loosening the nuts of the bolts the plates H may be moved up or down to bring the same to the desired position for tuning purposes, as before explained, and when the desired position has been reached the nuts are screwed up to lock the plates H in position.

In order to reduce the stroke necessary for the keys employed for producing low notesthat is, the longest keys-I prefer the attachment shown in Fig. 8 for shortening the stroke of the said keys,the said attachmentconsisting of a'lever J, fulcrumed at J on the standard A and extending under the row of keys for the low notes, the free end of said lever engaging the arm E. Thus by pressing the keys G for the low notes the lever J is caused to swing downward, and in doing so it pushes the arm E in a like direction to shift the slide 0 in the barrel of the whistle B, it being understood that the keys are required to move downward butashort distance to give an illcreased stroke to the slide 0, owing to the connection of the lever J with the arm E.

Now in using the instrument the operator blows in the whistle B in the usual manner and at the same time successively presses and releases the keys G to move the slide 0 in the barrel of the whistle the desired distance to produce the corresponding note of the music to be executed.

It is understood that upon releasing the key the spring F at once returns the arm E and the corresponding key, together with the slide C, back to the normal position shown in Fig. 1.

The instrument as shown in the drawings is tuned in the key of C; but it is evident that by changing some of the keys G, I am enabled to bring the instrument to the key of G, D, &c., or any other key.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A musical instrument provided with a whistle, a piston fitted to slide in the barrel of the whistle, and keys connected with the piston, for moving the latter in the barrel,

rel, a spring-pressed arm on the piston-rod, and a series of keys engaging the said arm to move the latter and the piston a greater or lesser distance, upon pressing the keys, substantially as shown and described.

4:. A musical instrument comprising an arm for operating the piston in the whistle-barrel, a series of keys resting on the said arm, and made of different lengths, to move the arm a corresponding distance for shifting the piston accordingly in the barrel, substantially as shown and described.

5. A musical instrument provided with a series of keys, a whistle-barrel, a piston therein and adapted to be manipulated by the said keys, and a tuning attachment consisting of an adjustable plate for limiting the movement of the keys, substantially as shown and described.

6. A musical instrument provided with slidable keys of different length, a lever on which the keys rest, and an arm at an angle to the said lever, and connected with the barrel portion of a whistle, and engaged by the said lever, substantially as shown and described.

SILVESTER HOADLEY.

Witnesses:

HARRY O. MODRELL, OYRUs HOADLEY. 

